"As seen up top, the O's have almost no long-term commitments. They have a large arbitration class but none of the projections are particularly onerous. Even with those arb players, RosterResource projects the club for a paltry $69MM payroll next year, almost $100MM below what they spent in 2025. A few non-tenders should give them even more breathing room."
"All that potential payroll capacity doesn't guarantee of aggressive moves, however. They also had lots of dry powder last winter and still kept things fairly modest. The only multi-year pact was a three-year deal for Tyler O'Neill with an opt-out after the first season. Otherwise, it was one-year deals for veteran players like Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Andrew Kittredge, Gary Sánchez and Ramón Laureano."
"The starting pitching investments were particularly underwhelming. The O's clearly needed more in the rotation. Since it was the first offseason under new owner David Rubenstein, some fans believed a new level of spending was possible. In November, then-general manager Mike Elias set the expectations fairly high. "You're certainly wanting to keep the whole menu of player acquisition open," he said. "That involves high-end free agent deals over many years. We've been engaged in those conversations already.""
Orioles entered 2025 as contenders but their season collapsed quickly, leaving uncertainty about offseason direction. The club carries $20.5MM in guaranteed 2026 contracts (assuming the Enns option) and $103MM in total future commitments. A sizable arbitration class exists but projected salaries are manageable, and projections place the 2026 payroll near $69MM, roughly $100MM below 2025. Several players are non-tender candidates, which would free additional payroll space. Last winter's spending was modest despite capacity, with only one multi-year deal. Starting pitching additions were underwhelming, leaving the rotation as a primary area of concern.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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